CNC (computer numerically controlled) machines are often used for the rapid prototyping of parts or the development of mechanical components in low volume. CNC machines are often used to build parts that are used to setup (tool) a high volume production line. A CNC machine allows very precise, highly repeatable milling and machining instructions that are programmed into the CNC machine much like a computer program. Schools offering CNC training familiarize you with the basic functions of the machine and how to program the machine.

CNC training programs are designed for people with existing experience in machining or manufacturing design. CNC program courses concentrate on the use of the Fanuc/GE style g-code programming language to operate CNC machinery such as mills and lathes. In Mastercam training you learn to process CAD drawings through CAM software and automate the g-code writing process. Learning CNC will give you the advantage of mastering a specialized and in-demand set of skills.
http://www.education-online-search.com/programs/

RBR Associates Inc. and CNCini, both of Darien, Ill., have developed a software program that runs on the Palm OS platform and turns a PDA into a data-storage device for CNC machine tools.

The CncGcoder is a G-code program storage and editing device for CNC machine tools.


The CncGcoder system backs up and edits CNC machine tool G-code programs. The software lets users define special settings for up to 1,000 different machines and allows for storage of up to 1,000 G-code programs per machine. Users can edit programs directly on the handheld and perform backups by syncing up the information from the PDA to a desktop or laptop PC.

The system is in place at Parker Hannifin Corp., where the manager of manufacturing systems, Domingo Mojica, reports on the device's compatibility.

"I am impressed by how easily it interfaces with most CNCs, no matter how old the machine is or the brand of control," he says.

The system is sold as a package including the handheld computer, all associated software, and interface cables.

http://www.americanmachinist.com/304/Issue/Article/False/8165/

Okuma America Corp has introduced the Crown, the latest computer numerical control (CNC) lathe which offers upgraded features such as high-torque spindle motor, servo-driven tool turret and an ergonomically designed machine enclosure. The Crown, which comes in three models, was designed to facilitate production and streamline CNC turning operations. It is also capable of a 10,000 unit production cycles until the year 2005.

Machine tool builder Okuma America Corporation has introduced a new CNC lathe to address the growing need for a family of products suited to the needs of both first-time CNC users as well as experienced manufacturers supplying diverse industries with precision turned parts. Designated the Crown, Okuma's lathe offers a high-torque spindle motor, direct-drive headstock, servo-driven tool turret, an economically-configured machine enclosure, and a compact 95.47 by 69.4 inch machine footprint.

The new lathe is currently available in three models, the 10 hp Crown-E, the 15 hp Standard Bore, and 20 hp Big Bore. A V12 hydraulic turret is standard with the Crown-E. The Standard Bore and Big Bore models both use a V12 numerically controlled servomotor turret. Okuma engineers note that the new lathe is intended to be what they describe as "an evolutionary" product driven by the demands of end-users and the worldwide machine tool marketplace. Okuma officials project the production life-cycle of the Crown family at some 10,000 units through the year 2005.

Okuma America president John Hendrick explained, "We began production of the Crown this past April, initially producing some 40 units which comprise the first shipments to our Okuma distributor locations throughout North and South America. These first lathes began shipping from our Charlotte plant in June, with production reaching 60 units a month by July and up to 80 units monthly as early as next year.

The E-Series Crown offers entry-level CNC pricing, based on a hydraulic turret system that provides station-to-station tool index times of 0.8 seconds. The S-Type Crown, with its servo-driven turret, cuts tool index times to 0.2 seconds. Depending upon the model selected, main spindle speeds are infinitely variable between either 75 and 4200 rpm or 65 and 3500 rpm. Machine travels in the Z and X axes are the same for all models: X-axis, 7.28 inches; Z-axis, 20.47 inches; X-axis rapid feed rate, 590.55 ipm; and Z-axis, 787.4 ipm.

Okuma design engineers stress that the Crown is designed to facilitate production and simplify CNC turning operations. For example, the Crown's unusual, rounded enclosure helps deflect fluids and chips away from the workpiece, while it facilitates operator access for routine set up and parts removal operations. The lathe's Okuma-manufactured OSP CNC system pivots 90 degrees from the machine for convenient viewing during programming operations. According to the builder, the on-board MacMan system streamlines diagnostic procedures to cut troubleshooting time, while the OSP's integral floppy disk drive enables operators to quickly load custom CNC machining programs authored on a conventional PC.

Prospective Crown customers currently range from entry-level CNC users to multinational automotive manufacturers and their first-tier suppliers. Mr. Hendrick adds, "With Okuma's 1996 introduction of the CADET-Mate and CADET-V machining centers and this year's CTV-30 and CTV-40 vertical machining centers, in combination with its CNC grinder line, the new Crown lathe further positions the company to market a complete line of advanced machine tools with the commortality of OSP computer numerical control.

Okuma America Corporation is the U.S. affiliate of Okuma Corporation, a worldwide machine tool builder founded in Nagoya, Japan, in 1898. Established in Long Island, New York, in 1984, Okuma American today has a 364,000 square foot headquarters, manufacturing and training facility in Charlotte, North Carolina, employing 400 persons.


Okuma America Corp has introduced the Crown, the latest computer numerical control (CNC) lathe which offers upgraded features such as high-torque spindle motor, servo-driven tool turret and an ergonomically designed machine enclosure. The Crown, which comes in three models, was designed to facilitate production and streamline CNC turning operations. It is also capable of a 10,000 unit production cycles until the year 2005.

Machine tool builder Okuma America Corporation has introduced a new CNC lathe to address the growing need for a family of products suited to the needs of both first-time CNC users as well as experienced manufacturers supplying diverse industries with precision turned parts. Designated the Crown, Okuma's lathe offers a high-torque spindle motor, direct-drive headstock, servo-driven tool turret, an economically-configured machine enclosure, and a compact 95.47 by 69.4 inch machine footprint.

The new lathe is currently available in three models, the 10 hp Crown-E, the 15 hp Standard Bore, and 20 hp Big Bore. A V12 hydraulic turret is standard with the Crown-E. The Standard Bore and Big Bore models both use a V12 numerically controlled servomotor turret. Okuma engineers note that the new lathe is intended to be what they describe as "an evolutionary" product driven by the demands of end-users and the worldwide machine tool marketplace. Okuma officials project the production life-cycle of the Crown family at some 10,000 units through the year 2005.

Okuma America president John Hendrick explained, "We began production of the Crown this past April, initially producing some 40 units which comprise the first shipments to our Okuma distributor locations throughout North and South America. These first lathes began shipping from our Charlotte plant in June, with production reaching 60 units a month by July and up to 80 units monthly as early as next year.

The E-Series Crown offers entry-level CNC pricing, based on a hydraulic turret system that provides station-to-station tool index times of 0.8 seconds. The S-Type Crown, with its servo-driven turret, cuts tool index times to 0.2 seconds. Depending upon the model selected, main spindle speeds are infinitely variable between either 75 and 4200 rpm or 65 and 3500 rpm. Machine travels in the Z and X axes are the same for all models: X-axis, 7.28 inches; Z-axis, 20.47 inches; X-axis rapid feed rate, 590.55 ipm; and Z-axis, 787.4 ipm.

Okuma design engineers stress that the Crown is designed to facilitate production and simplify CNC turning operations. For example, the Crown's unusual, rounded enclosure helps deflect fluids and chips away from the workpiece, while it facilitates operator access for routine set up and parts removal operations. The lathe's Okuma-manufactured OSP CNC system pivots 90 degrees from the machine for convenient viewing during programming operations. According to the builder, the on-board MacMan system streamlines diagnostic procedures to cut troubleshooting time, while the OSP's integral floppy disk drive enables operators to quickly load custom CNC machining programs authored on a conventional PC.

Prospective Crown customers currently range from entry-level CNC users to multinational automotive manufacturers and their first-tier suppliers. Mr. Hendrick adds, "With Okuma's 1996 introduction of the CADET-Mate and CADET-V machining centers and this year's CTV-30 and CTV-40 vertical machining centers, in combination with its CNC grinder line, the new Crown lathe further positions the company to market a complete line of advanced machine tools with the commortality of OSP computer numerical control.

Okuma America Corporation is the U.S. affiliate of Okuma Corporation, a worldwide machine tool builder founded in Nagoya, Japan, in 1898. Established in Long Island, New York, in 1984, Okuma American today has a 364,000 square foot headquarters, manufacturing and training facility in Charlotte, North Carolina, employing 400 persons.

http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-20045238.html

A Bermuda-based woodworking company's CNC (computer numeric controlled) machine paid for itself after only nine months of operation by allowing the company to profitably handle jobs they would have turned away in the past. There is a great need on the island for complicated woodwork such as shutters and decorative pieces such as carved signs. Carpenters with traditional tools can't do these jobs fast enough to make them profitable. As the only owner of a CNC machine on Bermuda, CNC Automated Carpentry has now captured this entire market. In the first nine months of using the machine, the company produced a variety of pieces including decorated rafter ends, signs with elaborate lettering and logos, arched door frames, and $30,000 worth of shutters. Most of these projects would have taken days or weeks to do by hand, if they could have been done at all. Yet they were finished in hours on the CNC machine. "Jobs that we would have turned away in the past have been done on the machine at more than a 30 percent profit," says Rick Vesely, partner, CNC Automated Carpentry. "In less than one year of owning it, we've billed $450,000 worth of work."

CNC Automated Carpentry of Bermuda was started last year by three partners with many years of construction experience on the island. Having worked with traditional tools all of their careers, they knew there were certain jobs that were just too time consuming to be profitable. For example, nearly all houses on the island have shutters to protect against storms and also to provide shade in the heat of the day. "The demand for new shutters is huge but making them by hand is extremely difficult," says Rick Vesely, one of CNC Automated Carpentry's partners. "With our previous methods, we just turned away that work." Other projects were also too labor-intensive to be profitable. These included any kind of highly detailed woodwork, such as decorative touches on rafters, or intricately lettered signs for homes or businesses. Since carpenters on Bermuda could not do this type of work without losing money, it was either sent abroad or just not done.

Finding the right machine

When the three partners decided to start their own business, they realized that the ability to take on the jobs that typically left the island would be a strong competitive advantage. One of the options they found was a louvre-groover machine, which is specific to producing shutters. At a cost of $35,000, it was ruled out because that was all it could do. "There was a lot of other work besides shutters that we wanted do and we couldn't see tying up so much of our capital on one machine," Vesely adds. So they looked into computer technology that could automate the production of intricate and difficult pieces. "We didn't know a lot about computers, but we knew there were machines that could be programmed to cut wood automatically according to drawings in the computer," says Vesely. "This would be preferable to a louvre-groover because it could perform multiple operations, such as routing, shaping, mortising, and so on."

Quickly, they turned their search to the Internet. After some initial research, they were not thrilled. First, they found a heavy and expensive machining center designed mostly for metalworking. The enormous price tag of the machining center greatly exceeded their company's budget allocation of $50,000. Next, they looked into an inexpensive router but it was also less accurate and wasn't equipped to handle the highly intricate carving that they needed for their detailed artistic carvings. Then, they found the Techno CNC Machine from Techno-isel, New Hyde Park, New York, which offered the best of both worlds; the Techno router was affordable, accurate and versatile. Truly a great deal for the Bermuda woodworkers. The machine performs production routing and drilling on a wide variety of materials including wood, plastic, MDF, solid surfacing materials and nonferrous metals. The machine price included CAM software capable of creating designs as well as importing them from nearly every CAD system.

"After we studied these machines for a while, we learned why the Techno machine delivers higher accuracy compared to the low-end routers," says Vesely. "One reason is that it is made of higher quality materials." For example, the Techno machine is constructed on steel stress-relieved bases with hardened steel linear ways. Its shaft-and-bearing system produces very smooth, play-free motion and is an extremely rigid system that produces high-quality cuts. The machine also uses anti-backlash ballscrews. These screws have excellent power transmission due to the rolling ball contact between the nut and screws. This type of contact ensures low friction, low wear, and long life. The ballscrews also make it possible to produce wooden parts to the machine resolution of 0.0005 inch. "Instead of being ballscrew-driven, the less expensive machines use rack and pinion gearing, which has too much play to make accurate cuts in small areas." Vesely adds. "Also this type of gearing wears out quickly in the dusty environment of a carpentry shop. The other main difference we found between the Techno machine and the others was that the Techno uses a servo motor to control cutting motion while other machines use stepper motors, which can give a stair-step cutting effect." A servo motor gives the Techno machine a positioning accuracy of +1 mm in 300 mm and a repeatability of 0.01 mm.

Good vendor support



None of the partners had ever used CNC equipment before. "Our only computer experience was with PCs," says Vesely. "When we got the machine, we didn't even know how to turn it on. That's another big reason we're happy we went with Techno," he adds. "They have provided us with excellent support. They walked us through all the issues we were unfamiliar with, from creating drawings in the CAM program to setting up parts on the table. They have never failed to help us when we had a question."

Since installing the Techno machine CNC Automated Carpentry has found it to be "the most versatile tool in the shop," according to Vesely. The wide range of projects that the machine has been used for certainly bears this out. One of its main roles is for producing shutters. "Now we are meeting this huge demand," says Vesely. The partners have also used the machine to create large pieces such as templates that were cumbersome to do by hand. "Another construction company needed these really large templates for arched doorways," Vesely explains. "With traditional tools, they would have had to lay out three or four sheets of plywood or MDF board on the ground and cut these 180-inch radiuses with a jig saw. Then they would have spent a lot of time hand sanding to their marks but even so, templates would not have been accurate enough." He estimates that the job would have taken six or seven hours to do by hand. Instead, the other company asked CNC Automated Carpentry to make the templates on the CNC machine. Vesely was able to program the arch shape and have templates ready to cut in an hour. Total time to produce five templates, including programming and cutting, was two days. "They were perfect half rounds, which was far more accurate than they ever could have been by hand," he adds.

On another job, the machine was used to create scrollwork for the exposed ends of rafters. This was a big job involving about 60 15-foot rafters. Normally, the scrollwork would have been hand cut from plywood templates. "This job would have been very labor-intensive by hand because after all the time you spent cutting, you would have to go back and sand each rafter as well. It would have taken at least two days," explains Vesely. "We programmed the scroll work in the CAM program, put these large rafters on the machine and cut each one in less than 20 seconds. We did all 60 in one hour. As fast we could put a rafter on the machine and press 'Start,' it was done." After evaluating the labor hours and the cost of the materials, the company determined that it made a 35 percent profit on that job.

The company also used the machine to create a menu box for a restaurant. It could have been just a basic wooden box, but knowing how easy it would be to do more elaborate work with the Techno machine, Vesely decided to embellish the box. "The restaurant is called Robin Hood Pub and their sign has little Robin Hood hats on it," he explains. "I programmed a few of those hats and some arrows in the CAM software and used the Techno machine to carve those features into the wood. It made it a more interesting than just plain wood." He also used the machine for an unusual job involving a BMW convertible. The owner wanted speakers mounted in the trunk an had left some oval holes for access to the wiring. He wanted to cover these holes with something that he could see through but wouldn't break due to vibration from the speakers. Vesely used the Techno machine to cut one-inch thick pieces of acrylic to fit the holes precisely. Then he took the additional step of carving the BMW and speaker vendor's logos in acrylic. "When people see these, they don't think they were done on this island," Vesely adds.

The purchase of a CNC machine was an excellent way for the three partners of CNC Automated Carpentry to start their business. It ensured a competitive edge and has enabled the company to handle a great deal of work with only four people. And the machine paid for itself so quickly that its use in the future will be even more profitable.




http://www.techno-isel.com/CNC_Routers/Testimonials/Articles/CNC_Automation.htm

CAD/CAM and nesting software programs all CNC punching and profiling machines and has been optimised to to further improve the cutting path in complex nests

Jetcam International has announced its latest version V16 of its Expert CAD/CAM and nesting software for all CNC punching and profiling machines. Offering twice the power of the earlier V8 system, the latest version V16 includes features aimed at providing enhanced functionality for interactive tasked and further automation for users looking for semi or completely unmanned systems.

Jetcam will also be increasing the number of end user releases in 2008, ensuring that users can immediately take advantage of each new feature as soon as it is available.

JETCAM Expert V16's sequencing routines have been optimised to further improve the cutting path, which can considerably reduce the overall cutting time of complex nests.

A new reporting engine has also been included to provide comprehensive and customisable reports.

A report designer is included, where users can simply 'drag and drop' the required fields or tables of information onto the page.

Single component or complete nest images can also be added.
Reports of any size or format can be generated, including labels for single label printers.

* CNC punching - further development specific to punching machines has also been announced.

Automatic tooling placement logic has been further optimised, providing users of punching machines with the same level of automation as profiling machines.

Tools are automatically placed on the component based on highly configurable parameters.

This information is then carried through to all related nests - if the component is updated then this is automatically reflected on the nest.

'Tool teach mode' further enhances the automatic tooling facilities by allowing JETCAM to 'learn' a user's preferred method of tooling a particular contour.

* Nesting - JETCAM's free form high performance nesting module (FFHPN) for V16 has also undergone further development, with the latest release offering even greater efficiencies.

With metal prices increasing even a 1% material saving can quickly mount up to a considerable amount, said Jetcam to manufacturingtalk.com.

Jetcam is also offering prospective customers a free 'nesting benchmark comparison' whereby they will compare a user's existing nests with one created through FFHPN.

Commented Mike Weber, managing director Jetcam International: 'These features in Release V16, when combined allow a JETCAM Expert system to rapidly become self-sufficient.

It intelligently and accurately applies logic so that the whole CAM process can become truly hands-off, especially when JETCAM's Remote Control Processing (RCP) system is employed' He continued: 'With our knowledge of the complexities of today's powerful CNC machines this frees the operator for other tasks, maximises machine runtime and reduces material waste.

For any size of organisation this level of automation has to be their goal to remain competitive in today's climate of cost reductions.

Companies employing manufacturing efficiency methodologies such as 'Six Sigma' will benefit from a system that provides a data-driven approaches to problem solving with a focus on customer impact.

Any business purchase has to be justified by return on investment, and JETCAM continues to deliver this in three key areas: material utilisation, machine cycle time and programming time'.

V16 will be available for download from the JETCAM.com web site in February 2008.

Existing customers under maintenance will be able to download the software immediately at no cost.

Customers out of maintenance need only to purchase a maintenance contract to gain access to the latest features - there is no additional upgrade price to pay.

Greg G. Wright 8ß Sons LLC (Cincinnati) traces its history back to its founding in 1860 as a pioneer in manufacturing engraved steel blocks, custom tags and plates, and metal stampings.

As a US manufacturer, Carl Fries, president and CEO, is a realist and a fighter, who believes that there are opportunities for the shop that employs newer technology and higher quality technology.

"I think technology will open doors that have previously been closed. The name of the game is speed-to be able to process your parts as fast as possible at the highest level of quality. If you're not doing that, it's only a matter of time before you're done," Fries says.
Today's Wright & Sons occupies 34,000 ft^sup 2^ (3179 m^sup 2^) and employs some 20 operators and tool and die craftsmen-three with more than 40 years and many others with 20-plus years on the Greg G. Wright & Sons team. When Fries took over the company, there were two divisions, which he combined.

"When I stepped in, the company was very near death, and I had to breathe new life into it. I got rid of 25 to 35 manual machines and about 30,000 Ib [13,608 kg] of scrap. It was ridiculous. There was a single small CNC router to make patterns, but not a single computer-aided machine tool in the shop. My first purchase was a CNC EDM sinker to engrave tools. At the time, engraving was our primary market. My background was CNC turning and milling, and I knew that eventually I'd move the company in that direction in a major fashion."
That is precisely what he did, investing in CNC turning and milling equipment to position the company to be competitive in an increasingly global market. He sold off manual machines, replacing them with CNC machines, many of which were used but in good shape.

Then, too, Fries realized he had to move away from Wright & Son's traditional target markets of engraving and metal stamping. To do that, he signed up with two Internet matching services to get his name and capabilities out before a broader audience and emphasize his focus on CNC turning and milling. He has mixed feelings about the Internet experience, and thinks it's still hard to replace face-to-face, palm-to-palm relationships, especially when working on large dollar and time-commitment jobs.

"For example, we've been working on a special project for CompX Fort [River Grove, IL]," Fries says. "We turn a ring on a Hardinge Quest Super Precision, roll-mark it, and then EDM a cut. The final EDM work is be done by a third party. Our customer uses a pneumatic air cylinder to spread the ring open to put a thick key on it.

"We've paid CompX Fort a visit to show them samples of the job, and they've been very pleased. This is a $50,000 contract, and they don't come around all that often to a $2-$3 million company. If this relationship blossoms, there are quite a few other parts we could be making for them. And we're working face-to-face. For me there's a certain comfort in that, as unfounded as many may think that is today," he says.

Right now, Fries says, the focus, short and long term, is getting Wright & Sons up to speed on CNC-CNC turning, CNC milling, and CNC Swiss turning. Evidence of this is a new Hardinge (Elmira, NY) Bridgeport 760XP3 VMC. "We got the 760 about four months ago when we started getting more and larger contracts for precision milling work," Fries says.

"Our existing VMC just couldn't keep pace. Granted, it's 14 years old, and technology has changed considerably in a decade and a half. But when we decided to expand our milling capacity we went with whom I knew best: Bridgeport and Hardinge. And before we really had the 760 set up and running, we ordered a second 760, which should be here anytime now."

What drove the order for the first Bridgeport 760XP^sup 3^ was the awarding of a sizeable order for precision gas flanges for commercial jet engines.

"We run these parts chucked face up in a vise, four at a time," explains Gary Foster, tool-room manager. "Cycle time is roughly 28 min. The material is 410 stainless. The tolerance on the overall height is ±0.001'' [0.25 mm] and ±0.005'' [0.13 mm] or ±0.0010± (0.13 mm) on the shoulder. The Fanuc 18i MB handles all the interpolation of the holes, the large center hole and the perimeter holes, the face milling and radii. When the top face is finished, the part is turned over and refixtured in an adjacent vise on the table, face down, where the bottom is fly-cut to assure proper part thickness."

After the parts are fly-cut, they're placed on a fixture 20 at a time for finish grinding of the backside, which brings the pan into final finish dimension. "This is the only operation that isn't done on the 760," Foster says. "In the past there were a number of secondary operations to finish this part. Now, this is the only one, this light grinding to bring the thickness into spec."

All 11 tools that are needed are in the 30-tool ATC. "Between the control and the ATC we've got a cycle time of 28 min, whereas the previous method took twice that long," Foster says. "The 290 psi [2 MPa] throughspindle coolant feature makes a real difference. We can take a flat-bottom drill at a rate of 4 ipm [106.6 mm/min] and pop the center hole through the stainless in 7 sec. Without the through-spindle coolant, we couldn't do that. It would heat up so quickly that the tool would burn into the material.
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